Meeting CANCELLED/POSTPONED, as some last minute developments in Mysore will keep Mr Manivannan busy today. We will reschedule this and shortly announce a new date.
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Prajagale'
Immediately I saw Mr Manivannan's first posting on PRAJA, I sent him a private message requesting a PRAJA-style meeting. I am happy to append below his response.
Dear Murali,
It will be my pleasure to meet committed citizens like you! Due to elections, I wont be able to travel out of Mysore. Hence I recommend that the meeting can happen at Mysore. It may be done as early as possible, as things will get hectic, with election date approaching. Can we plan it the coming week? Mornings are better. Can we invite the officials from the other departments too, as i may not have as much information as they would have on their subjects; KSRTC and CHESCOM.
Can i have a back ground note on the specifics issues you would like me to discuss with you? It is only for making the discussion more fruitful, and there will be no restriction on whatever you want to ask!
I take this opportunity to wish you and the Praja team a happy and wonderful year ahead!
cheers, Manivannan
I am proposing to make a trip to Mysore on Saturday, April 4th, (perhaps leave by an early morning Volvo service) and return by evening. Those wishing to join me may contact on murali772@gmaildotcom.
I am including in the agenda the following points for discussions:
1) The JUSCO water-supply contract:
a) What are the steps taken to meet the needs of the poorer sections of the society?
b) Is 24 X 7 supply across the city feasible?
c) What is the proposed tariff structure?
d) Is sewerage management also part of the contract?
e) What is the proposed coverage? How will city expansion be addressed?
Apart from these, it will also be interesting to find out his proposals on Ground water management, Rain-water harvesting, etc.
Background: http://mysore.praja.in/blog/silkboard/2009/03/21/mixing-what-and-how-mysore-water-supply-protest-example
2) Public bus transport services:
In cities other than Bangalore, stage-carriage service licenses can be issued to private sector players also, for operations upto a 20 Km radius from the city centre. Why hasn't Mysore used that, even as Hubli-Dharwar has leading to it being a boon for the common man in the twin cities.
Background: http://praja.in/blog/murali772/2007/12/12/better-bussing-green-bangalore
3) Power supply:
There was a proposal to bring in NTPC into power distribution in Mangalore. Is Mysore looking at such options? If not, why not?
Bacground: http://praja.in/bangalore/blog/murali772/2008/05/28/imperatives-privatisation-power-distribution
If any one wants to add anything else, please add here, or mail me at murali772@gmaildotcom
Forward this Event
Comments
Murlai Sir, Thanks for the efforts!
Murali Sir,
Thanks for setting up this meeting and making efforts to travel all the Mysore to attend this meeting. Really Hats-off to you sir. Also please convey my and Praja's appreciation to Mr. Manivannan for taking interest and responding to sentiments and comments posted on Praja. To me this the real engagement.
Would look forward to a brief report on this meeting.
Once again thanks for all your help.
Regards,
Syed
A few points for the agenda
This is great! Unfortunately, I am unable to join in due to geographical limitations.
However, there are a couple of things I want to request the folks who are attending.
1. Mr. Manivannan is very keen to utilize IT in administration and it would be good to know what the plans are and if we can offer him some help. Can you guys try to find out if there are any aspects where we can offer to help?
2. Can someone bring along a laptop or a mobile phone with enough memory and record the whole conversation? I can edit that suitably and we can have our first ever Praja podcast.
I have been fortunate to have met Mr. Manivannan last year in his office and I am sure this will be a very fruitful meeting.
-Shastri
-Shastri
Meeting with Mr. Manivannan
Good work Mr. Shastri! This is good for Mysore and hopefully we can bring some important points to Mr. Manivannan's kind attention. If I am in town, I will certainly come for the meeting.
Kindly email me your mobile number so that we can be in touch.Rgds,
ERR
I am up for a drive
I would have preferred this to happen the weekend after (Apr 11), but I am trying my best to manage a Saturday morning drive to Mysore. Murali, will call you to plan if we can carpool. Naveen, you too coming!?
More things I'd want to add to agenda
Will Try to Make It
SB - I will also try & make it. What abt Srivathsa ? Will you be free on the day ?
Mr.Murali - thanks for this initiative.
Mysore - future growth
I might not be able to make it, given that i have some other comittments that weekend.
But the question i'd like to ask Shri P Manivannan, is how is Mysore and its suburbs positioned to take advantage of growth stemming out of Bangalore?
Will Mysore learn from Bangalore's chaotic growth? Most importantly, will it fallback on it's gerontocratic old school of thinking that growth is an evil? Or will it understand and appreciate the need for economic growth and catalyse the same?
So far, judging by the populace Mysore seems to be an old man's hub with retired people calling shots and dysfunctional and outdated policies.
Second - why are some IAS officers like you filled with initiative and self drive and honest? Why are the rest just corrupt crackpots? Is it because of the way IAS officers are recruited? Does the entire IAS system warrant a complete overhaul or a complete dismantle?
I would love to attend
I would love to come along on Saturday 4th April with you guys to Mysore. Can someone please tell me the complete plan , how we are travelling etc. Murali sir-can you please give me your number so that I can call you to discuss.
Regards,
Nishant
Meeting with Mr. Manivannan
Since two hours are not enough to discuss many topics in detail, it would be better to restrict to already mentioned topics of JUSCO Transportation and power. Each of these topics is of great importance to Mysore and requires good deal of discussion on how to improve these services.
Therefore it would be useful to restrict the discussions to the above three.
I look forward to learn from Bangalore colleaugues about their experience of solving them.
Bhamy V Shenoy
Bhamy V Shenoy
Convener, Mysore Grahakara Parishat
Will attend
Can't make it - am in Bombay
Murali-sir,
Would have loved to join, but am in Bombay from Wed to Sunday afternoon.
Srivathsa
Drive safe. It is not just the car maker which can recall its product.
Greetings to you, Dr Shenoy!
Greetings to you, Dr Shenoy! Good to link up with you again, Sir. Perhaps you can become a core Praja-Mysore team member.
You had mentioned about learnings from Bangalore about solving problems. Well, Sir, we are far from it! But, perhaps, we are beginning to move in the right direction. And, I would like to believe that PRAJA is contributing largely to making the difference by providing the right kind of platform for interaction between the government officials and the public. Well, we may not exactly be representative, but I guess we certainly can claim to be informed. And, that itself can do a lot of good.
Besides, we are also coming to see if the JUSCO tie-up can in the near future become the model for Bangalore and other cities to follow.
Muralidhar Rao
good response
Good to see the response.
As SB has suggested, perhaps we will take cars. Looks like we will have to take two from the present level of responses. SB is bringing his. We will need another volunteeer as of now. Costs can be split.
We will try and be in Mr Manivannan's office by 10.00 AM latest, which means we will have to be on the road latest by 6.30 AM.
Mysore people can join us directly.
My mob no is 98450 75543, and mail id is murali772@gmaildotcom
We now have a good idea of what we want to discuss. I'll help moderate so that we can cover as many subjects as possible.
Muralidhar Rao
I am okay for 4th April
I think I'm okay for saturday with my car for pooling, along with SB's car up front. Will confirm by tomorrow. We can also explore the bus option if there are more than two car loads.
Need for a serious discussion on one topic...
Mr.Murali,
We spoke. From what is being conveyed by concerned citizens as above, I find that each one of them have their own thoughts about various subjects and it is necessary to arrive at a consesus as to what exactly is to be discussed and which is the most serious issue on hand and why.
No doubt we, Mysoreans do not want Heritage City of Mysoru to become another monstro-city like incorrigible Bengaluru. it is necessary to have proper vision statements with a futuristic ambience for the city and at the same time we need to set achievable projects that give us tangible results so that people can touch and feel the difference of how their money has been spent.
Let us be pragmatic and utilise the time spared by Mr.Manivannan and his officers in a fruitful manner. He is the most proactive beaurocrat and he has an open mind about the problems of the people and how to enable them to solve their problems by enabling them and making them proactive with administration.
His vision - life is beautiful (conditions apply)!!!
I will be there on 4th.
Regards,
Vasanthkumar Mysoremath, Cell: 9845950440; vasanthmysoremath@gmail.com
clearer agenda
Dear Mr Manivannan
The discussions with you regarding 'public bus transport services' and 'power distribution', I had intended to limit just to the question of why competition/ PPP/ privatisation had not been considered by Mysore city. These being policy matters, the local chiefs of KSRTC and MESCOM, I expect, would not be in a position to comment on. And, as far as their operational aspects are concerned, if the Mysore PRAJA members wish to have discussions involving them, perhaps it can happen another day.
Well, you may say, that such questions cannot be commented upon by you also, and need to be addressed to the political bosses. Yes, we are appreciative of such aspects. We just thought we will try to get your perspective on these also, with Mysore having taken bold to look at PPP in as sensitive an area as water supply.
It may interest you to know that while interviewing Capt Gopinath yesterday (on behalf of SmartVote and PRAJA - the excerpts will be put on PRAJA soon), to my specific query as to why he was not doing anything about providing efficient bus services for the common man, he responded saying that he definitely had it in his mind, and that he will pursue it, whether elected or not.
For now, we essentially wish to understand the details of the JUSCO deal, as also the other aspects that SB, Sastry, Arun and others have raised, apart from the why of the two key infrastructure sectors continuing to remain monopolies. And, I don't expect their services are any better than those of their counterparts in Bangalore.
Muralidhar Rao
timing revised - starting at 11AM
Mr Manivannan was kind enough to call me to suggest revision of timings to between 11AM and 1PM, in order to allow us sufficient time to reach Mysore comfortably.
For anyone coming directly, he has suggested they contact his assistant Mr Prakash on 94498 18755 if they need any assistance.
He has cautioned that there can be a bit of a hitch if any of the VVIP candidates requires his specific presence at the time of registration, this being the election time. He has said that it is unlikely, but one can never be too sure. In such an eventuality, I guess we carry forward the discussions after lunch, or over lunch.
Muralidhar Rao
I can't make It
I have some engagements that have suddenly come up & will not be in a position to accompany you all to Mysore - really sorry about this.
Meeting with Manivannan
ssheragu
I would have very much liked to attend; in fact I had met him in December 2007 on a flight to Gangtok; he is a very nice and affable man; but I have big official commitments; nevertheless I would like to put forward the following issues for discussions or as part of meeting agenda
1 - STRICT SEGREGATION OF RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL AREAS - How does he plan to implement strict segregation of residenial and commercial areas to eliminate traffic jams & snarls and to make living peaceful for residents
2 - GARBAGE COLLECTION & DISPOSAL - What are his views on clean, safe and fool proof disposal of garbage to make cities clean and neat; in fact in my view if MNC's are involved, there can be professonal ways of garbage elimination and turning waste into wealth
3 - ERADICATION OF ILLITERACY - What are his views on improvement of government schools to ensure free education for all
4 - IMPROVEMENT OF ROADS, FOOTPATHS ANDPAKING SPACES-
these are some of the issues that I have occurredto me and which can be discussed with hin
many thanks
Srinath Heragu
On a seperate note
interviewing Capt Gopinath yesterday (on behalf of SmartVote and PRAJA - the excerpts will be put on PRAJA soon),
How soon murali'avare, I am looking forward to some sound bytes
good chance for us
very good initiative. i would request praja to emphasis more on ....." please .... please .... don't grow mysore the way banglore did ". The each discussion topics taken are indeed very important and we need to make use of best of it. I would personally request to give more empahsis on pubic transport, so that the big monster ( TRAFFIC ) doesn't take his avatar there also. Also, empahsis the need of syncronization of traffic lights. Even though the traffic is less, and the problem is not huge now, but would say its the right time to do and this will certainly help in future. If time permits, would suggest to take up issue regarding plantation of trees, having big parks like lalbagh. ok, best of luck, will be watching your feedback from office closely.
thanks,
srinath
can't come, sick
Really sorry for the last minute pull out Murali. I am down with fever since last evening, little chance of getting fit by tomorrow morning.
Really wanted to attend this, hope we will meet him again soon, after LS elections are done.
Look forward to the meeting report.
Meeting cancelled/postponed
There is some law/order trouble in Mysore since yesterday which is going to keep Mr Manivannan busy. He called in to say he will not be able to make it today.
Sincere apologies on his behalf for the last minute cancellation, but it just couldn't be helped.
We will certainly have this meeting, most likely after the polls,
Capt Gopinath
Capt. Independent
Next saturday...??
Dear SB and all,
I also spoke to Mr.Manivannan in the morning and he was sorry the meeting had to be postponed and sounded - subject to confirmation and discussions with you guys - the meeting may be held next saturday the 11th instant (10th being Good Friday-holiday).
Will it be possible to get a few more expert players in the fields of water management, transport applications, city planning, environmental issues, so that we can have meaningful deliberations and put forth solid workable solutions to our highly proactive administrator for safeguarding our Heritage City of Mysoru from going the way the Bangalore Chitty has gone?
Vasanth Mysoremath
Captain, without a ship...
Sincere Regrets and next date.
This comment has been moved here.
Manivannan